McConnell warns of 'nuclear winter' if Democrats change Senate rules

Democrats forcing a change to the filibuster to push through President Biden's voting rights bill would usher in a "nuclear winter," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ominously claimed on Wednesday, ABC News reported.

"The Senate in nuclear winter would not be a hospitable place for either side ... if the majority chooses to end the filibuster, if they choose to change the rules and put an end to democratic debate, then the fighting and the bitterness and the gridlock will only get worse," McConnell said, according to The Hill.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted McConnell for his statement that "states are not engaging in trying to suppress voters whatsoever." Schumer called the claim McConnell's "big lie," comparable to and stemming from former President Donald Trump's baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

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The Senate plans to vote on the rule change Wednesday evening, but it is unlikely to pass. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have both announced their opposition to the measure, leaving Democrats with only 48 votes.

Despite not having the votes, Schumer is forging ahead. "Win, lose or draw, we are going to vote," he said. "[Republican Senators have] got to come down on the floor and defend their opposition to voting rights."